Curl forming device



May 7, 1940.

4 A. w. WOODFORD ,199,453

emu. FORMING DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1939- r jzadezzczz? 26 fizZf%%0Q /Wd 20, gym:

Patented May 7, 1940 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE com. roams nsvrcsArthur W. Woodford. Chioago lll. Application October- 5, 1939, SerialNo. 298,157

' This invention contemplates and provides an improved device forforming hair curls and is of the type wherein several strands ofhair arerolled upon a mandrel and then held in place by a hair pin while themandrel is withdrawn and used to form more similar curls.

It is ,an object of my invention toprovide an improved hair curler whichcan be manufactured at low cost and which may be used quickly and easilyto form curls of the above-described type.

It is an additional object to provide such a curler the use of whichrequires no especial training or dexterity.

A further object is to provide a novel hair pin for use with such amandrel, which cannot accidentally become disengaged from the hair andwhich is free from projecting points which might become entangled in thehair or which might cause injury to the person.

Other objects and'advantages will become apparent from the descriptionand drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and inwhich:

Fig. l is a. perspective view 'of my hair curler shown in openedposition to receive a lock of hair.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1,

- but showing the curler after the lock of hair has been rolled upon themandrel to form a curl.

This view also shows my hairpin in the position it assumes when engagingthe curl.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the curler shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with aportion thereof broken away to show details of its construction,

Fig.4 is a sectional view which may be considered as taken in thedirection of the arrows along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. a Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of my improved hairpin particularly adapted for use with thecurler" shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5. but showing t m th, and by curving tfinger in the hairpin'as it appears when closed.

Fig. 7 is a detailed plan view ends of the hairpin, and

as the curler I0, is used to roll a lock of hair into a curl, while thehairpin 12 comprises the second unit and is used to hold the curl inplace until the curl sets. Thus, one curler l4 suffices to roll anynumber of curls,"while a separate hairpin I2 is necessary for each ofthe curls so formed.

.The curler It comprises a cylindrical mandrel l4 provided with acylindrical extension or handle bar could be used.

of the latching four equally spaced flutesextendinglongitudi IQ ofsmaller diameter. A' knob l8 at the end of the handle serves to improvethe appearance of the curler andalso aids in its manipulation. Forreasons-of appearance, lightness and cost of manufacturing, I prefer to.form the mandrel 1 l4, handle -l6 and knob I8 as'fa unitary piece-of.

molded plastic, such as "Bakelite" or Plaskonfi'jfl' for instance; H fThe mandrel i4 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal flutes 20extending from near the' juncture of the mandrel and handle to the op-'Posite end of 'the mandrel. The preferred em- 5 1.,

bodiment illustrated shows four ofthese flutes, but it will beappreciated that adifierent num- A clip 22 has downwardly extendingwings 24 which straddle the handle [6 and are pivoted thereto by meansofa pin 26 extending through the handle and through apertures in the wings24. This pin 26 should, extend through the handle in a direction normaltoa plane passing through the axis of the mandrel and the axis of one ofthe flutes. The rearward portion of the clip is inclined upwardly andoutwardly toward the knob l8 to form a button 28 which, when depressed,will rock the clip about the pin 26.

.The portion of the clip opposite the button 28 forms a slender finger30 extending almost to the end of the mandrel. This finger 30 isU-shaped in cross-section and lies with its convexly curved surface incomparatively close contact throughout its. length with the bottom'ofone of the flutes 20. The size of this finger 30 is such that whenpositioned in the bottom of itsco-operating flute, the top edges 82thereof lie somewhat below the top edges of the flute, as best seen inFig. 4. The reason forthis arrangement will appear presently. hereafter.I

It should be particularly noticed that by providing a finger having agroove 34 therein along directionopposite to that usually employed oncurlers and curling irons, I, in efiect, create an additional flutealong the surface of the mandrel similarto the otherthree flutes 20. eThat :is, with the finger of the clip restingwithin one of the fourflutes 20, the three other flutes zo, pms1;the',

concave upper surface 34 of thefing'erj 31!, form nally of the mandrel.I The finger 30 is normally resiliently pressed into aflute in themandrel by a spring as. This spring consists of a bent piece of springwire,,one.

end of which. is press fitted'into a hole 31 in-the should be so shapedthat when the arms of the pin are free, the lower arm 38 will bestraight throughout its length, which is slightly greater than twoinches. The upper arm 40 extends from the lower arm at an angle ofapproximately 13 and is straight for a length of of an inch or so over aportion 42 adjacent the bend 36, and then is bowed outwardly away'fromthe lower am over a developed length of another A, of an inch at 44.This curvature is such that the remainder 48 of the upper arm, which isstraight, makes an angle of about 43 with the lower arm 38. v

The free end of the upper arm is bent downwardly at right angles for ashort distance, and then is bent around to form a U-shaped book 48 toengage the free end of the lower arm. The

outwardly bowed portion 44 is provided with a plurality of waves orreverse bends to prevent the hair from slipping. I have found that thispin serves its function best when manufactured of spring steel wire ofapproximately 20 gauge.

When the hairpin is closed, as shown in Fig. 6, the bowed portion 44 isbrought into close association with the lower arm 38, and in fact thetwo arms 38 and 40 are quite close to parallel throughout their lengths,thus preventing bunching of the hair at the center of the pin, as wouldhappen if the two arms of the pin were straight.

It should also be noted that the relative lengths of the upper and lowerarms are such that the V the finger 3! lie beneath the surface of themanmanner.

free end it, of the lower arm does not project outwardly beyond theU-shaped hook 48. By thus proportioning the two arms, no projectingpoints are formed which might catch in the hair or cause injury.

I For the use to which this hairpin is intended,

it is important that the lower arm 38 be straight,

as will appear presently.

In use, the curler is opened by depressing the button 28 and the end ofthe lock of hair is inserted between the mandrel I4 and finger 30, as

illustrated in Fig. 1. The button i8 is then released to clamp the endof the lock of hair and the mandrel rotated to wind the hair thereon.when the hair has been wound upon the mandrel to the desired extent, thelower arm 38 of the hairpin is slid along one of the flutes 20, or alongthe concave surface ll of the finger 30, and the free ends of thehairpins snapped together to ,confine the curl between the two arms ofthe pin; The button 28 is then slightly depressed to free the end ofthelock of hair from confinement beneath the finger II, and the mandrelis pulled from within the curl. This is particularly easily accomplishedsince the top edges 32 of drel, and consequently the finger may beraised slightly without the necessity of stretching the hair wrappedupon the mandrel. The curler may then be used to form another! curl in alike I have found that the operation of inserting the hairpin into thecurl is much more easily when looked uponaecomplishedifthelowerarmuofthehairpin" cluding the one formed by theconcave surface 34 in the finger 30, is that when the curls are formed,it is usually desirable to insert the hairpins as close to the scalp aspossible to reduce to a minimumthe length of uncurled hair. It is alsodesirable that the straight portion of any one curl be not substantiallygreater than the similar portion of another similarcurl. Thus, with fourflutes, the hairpin need never be inserted through the curl farther fromthe scalp than one-fourth the distance around the mandrel, whereas, ifonly one flute wereprovided, it would be necessary when forming thecurls to secure the hairpin a distance from the scalp equal to almostthe complete circumference of the mandrel in some instances. The effectof this would be that the variation in the length of the straightportion of the curls would be great,

and some curls would not be formed as close to the scalp as isdesirable.

What I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. In a hair curling device for use with a cylindrical mandrel havinglongitudinal flutes extending to one end thereof about which a lock oihair is to be wound to form a curl, a hairpin having an upper arm and alower arm, said 'arms being joined by a U-shaped bend at one end, thelower arm being normally straight throughout its length and adapted toslide along one of the flutes of said mandrel and through the curlthereon, the upper arm being substantiallystraight adjacent saidbend-with the outer free end portion curved outwardly away from thelower arm to provide a relatively wide gap between the free ,endportions of said arms when the hairpin is open, the free end of saidoutwardly curved arm being laterally bent to provide a latch forengagement with the free end of said lower arm when the hairpin isclosed, and

the degree of curvature of said upper arm beingan upper arm, an acute.bend connecting said.

arms, a latch at the freeend of said upper-arm to engage the free end ofsaid lower arm when the pin is closed, saidlower arm being substantiallystraight throughout its length to facilitate insertion of the hairpinthrough the curl, the major outer portion of said upper arm being curvedoutwardly away from the lower arm to provide a relatively wide gapbetween the free ends of said arms when the hairpin is open, and thedegree of curvature of said upper arm-being such that when the pin isclosed upon a lock of hair, the flexure tending to straighten said upperarm will be compensated for by the flexure tending to curve said lowerarm by pressure thereagainst so that the two arms of said hairpin willbe approximately parallel throughout their len h a lock of hair. YARTHUR W. WOODFPRD.

